Apple Crumble

It’s funny, after over two years of blogging I have yet to share my most used recipe. After initial samplings have been eaten, and the rest of the next weeks blog contribution is packed away for Dan’s lunch box or passed on to friends this is the recipe I turn to for an end of the weekend treat.

This is my favourite winter dessert, made from memory, thrown in the oven next to roasting meat and potatoes. I used to replace half of the flour in a tradition crumble topping recipe with Alpen for a crunchier texture. Now I use porridge oats and whichever nuts, seeds and dried fruits I have to hand. Mixing a few sweet eating apples with the baking apple means that you can skip adding sugar to the fruit but it still balances out the tang from the Bramley apple.

Peel, core and chop the apples into 1cm by 1cm chunks and distribute between four single serving dishes making sure to get a good mix of both apples in each.

Add 2 tbsp water to each dish and put in the oven for 15 minutes to start cooking the apples.

In a bowl mix together the flour and sugar. Add the butter and rub into the flour and sugar – you do this by repeatedly rubbing the pad of your thumb against the tips of your fingers in the mix – until it resembles breadcrumbs.

Top each of the dishes of fruit with the crumble topping and bake for a further 30 minutes until golden brown on top. If the topping begins to catch before the time id up cover with foil to prevent any further burning.

Serves hot with custard or ice cream, will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Apple crumble is such a classic. I always cook my apples in golden syrup before adding the crumble topping. But this looks a lot healthier. And I love how you’ve added seeds and oats to the crumble – it must make it wonderfully crunchy.